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swiftlet |
Swiftlets are
birds contained within the four
genera Aerodramus,
Hydrochous,
Schoutedenapus and
Collocalia. They form the Collocaliini
tribe within the
swift family
Apodidae. The group contains around thirty species mostly confined to southern
Asia, south
Pacific islands, and northeastern
Australia, all within the
tropical and
subtropical regions. They are in many respects typical members of the Apodidae, having narrow wings for fast flight, with a wide gape and small reduced beak surrounded by bristles for catching insects in flight. What distinguishes many but not all species from other swifts and indeed almost all other birds
[1] is their ability to use a simple but effective form of
echolocation to navigate in total darkness through the chasms and shafts of the
caves where they roost at night and breed. The nests of some species are built entirely from threads of their saliva, and are collected for the famous
Chinese delicacy bird's nest soup.
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